Brake beam



g- 1943- o. OTTE-RSON BRAKE BEAM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 4, 194'? 3nn'entor Oscnxe Or TEESON.

Aug. 3, 1948.

0. OTTERSON BRAKE BEAM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 4, 1947 3nnel 1tor 05cm? OTTERSON.

t (lttornegs.

Patented Aug. 3, 1948 tries BRAKE BEAM Application June 4, 1947, Serial No. 752,535

4 Claims. (Cl. l88--228) This invention relates to brake beams for railway cars.

In. the ordinar brake beam, which includes a truss, the brake heads usually connect the tension rod and compression member of the truss and therefore can notv be removed without releasing the tension rod from the compression member. When the beam is reassembled, it must be done away from the car with special apparatus suitable for the purpose.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide abrake beam in which the brake heads can be removed from the rest of the beam without disturbing the truss, and in which the heads are connected to the rest of the beam in an improved manner.

The preferred embodiment of this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. l is a rear View of. one end of my brake beam; Fig. 2 is a bottom view thereof; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary end view of the beam; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 2, but with the tension rod removed for the sake of clearness; Fig. 5 is a plan view of one end of the beam with the compression member in section and the brake head removed; and Fig. 6 is an end view of the connecting tongue alone.

Referring to the drawings, the truss of the brake beam is formed in the usual way from a channel-like compression member 15 connected at. its ends to the ends of a tension rod 2 whose central portion is spaced from the compression member b means of a strut (not shown). The ends of the tension rod are connected to the compression member through the medium of strong, rigid tongues Each tongue has an inner portion i that extends into the adjoining end of the compression member and that is channel shape (Fig. l) to conform to the inner surface of that member. ihe tongue preferably fits so tightly in the compression member that it has to be driven into place. It can be locked in position by a rivet 5 extending through the inner end of its side wall and the web of the compression member. The tongue has a wide rib i that is spaced from the back of its inner portion i to form a recess or socket which tightly receives the end of the compression member and also limits the distance that the tongue can be driven into that member. The ends of this rib project beyond the top and bottom of the rest of the tongue.

The portion of each tongue projecting from the compression member is bifurcated to form a slot 8 that is disposed substantially in the plane of 2 the beam which is the. common central plane of the compression member and. tension rod. This slot has parallel upper and lower walls H! and H of substantially the same uniform thickness which extend'above and below inner portion. 4 of the tongue 9. distance about; equal to the thickness of the compression member flanges. These walls are provided with a pair of axially aligned holes [2 (Figs. 4 and 5') that are in line witha similar hole through the upset and hattcned end of tension rod 2 which extends into slot 8. The rod and tongue are connected together by means of a sleeve l3 that extends through the aligned holes, but which does not project from the outer surfaces ofwall lil an'd M. It is a feature of this invention that the" truss thus formed does not dependupon brake heads for holding it together. 7

Each brake head has the usual shoe-supporting portion It connected by vertical webs 11' to a body portion. The body, however, is bifurcated to provide it with parallel upper and lower flanges i8 and it that are spaced apart farenough to receive the end of the: truss between them; Thus, the flanges fit against the outer surfaces of tongue walls It and H: and against the upper and. lower surfaces of the adjoining end portion of the compression member. The rear edges of the fiangesengage the projecting ends of rib l. The flanges; also extend across the ends of sleeve it and away fromv the outer side of the brake head. and are tied together by a curved wall 2 0 integral with them.

To'detachably connect each brake head to'the truss, the. body flanges it and it are provided with a pair of holes that are in axial alignment with the sleeve but. only as large as the inside of the, sleeve. A bolt 23 extends through these holes and. the sleeve, and. a nut 23 is screwed on its lower end to hold it inplace. This bolt not onl serves as one'of' the two fastening members by which the brake head is attached to the truss, but it also forms a solid core for the sleeve, thereby strengthening it. The other fastening member likewise is a bolt 24 which extends down through aligned openings formed in the body flanges and the portion of the compression memher and tongue between them. This bolt therefore serves the additional purpose of helping to hold the tongue in the compression member. The bolt is held in place by a nut 25 on its lower end.

When necessary the brake heads can be quickly removed from the rest of the beam by merely removing the bolts 22 and 24. The heads then can be slipped oil? the truss, but the truss will not come apart because the sleeves I3 in tongues 3 will keep the tension rod and compresison member connected. Therefore, the time and trouble. that otherwise would be involved in reassembling the truss to receive the heads again, is eliminated.

Accordingl to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle and construction of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. A brake beam comprising a compression member, tongues rigidly connected to the opposite ends of said member and projecting therefrom, the outer ends of the tongues being provided with bifurcated portions forming slots disposed in the plane of the beam, a tension rod having its ends projecting into the slots, each end of. the rod and the slot walls above and below it being provided with aligned holes, a sleeve extending through said holes to connect the rod and tongue together, a brake head having a bifurcated body straddling the projecting portion of the tongue and the adjoining end of the compression member, and a bolt extending through said body and sleeve, whereby removal of the bolt will not release the tension rod from the compression member.

2. A. brake beam comprising a compression member, tongues rigidly connected to the opposite ends of said member and projecting therefrom, the outer ends of the tongues being provided with bifurcated portions forming slots disposed in the plane of the beam, a tension rod having its ends projecting into the slots, each end of the rod and the slot walls above and belowit being provided with aligned holes, a sleeve extending through said holes to connect the rod and tongue together, a brake head having a bifurcated body straddling the projecting portion of the tongue and the adjoining end of the compression member, the inner portion of the tongue and said adjoining end of the compression member above and below it being provided with aligned openings, a bolt extending through said body and aligned openings, and a bolt extending through said body and sleeve, whereby the brake head can be removed by first removing staid bolts and without disturbing the rest of the beam. 1

3. A brake beam comprising a compression member, tongues rigidly connected to the opposite ends of said member and projecting therefrom, the outer ends of the tongues being provided with bifurcated portions forming slots disposed in the plane of the beam, a tension rod having its ends projecting into the slots, each end of the rod and the slot walls above and below it being provided with aligned holes, a sleeve extending through said holes to connect the rod and tongue together, a brake head having a shoesupporting portion from which spaced upper and lower flanges project across the ends of the sleeve and the adjacent end portion of the compression member, said flanges being provided with two pairs of aligned openings therethrough, the inner portion of the tongue and said adjoining end of the compression member above and below it being provided with openings in line with one of said pairs of flange openings, a bolt extending through said aligned tongue and flange openings, and a bolt extending through said other pair of flange openings and said sleeve, whereby the brake head can be removed by first removing said bolts and without disturbing the rest of the beam.

4. A brake beam comprising a compression member, tongues projecting into the opposite ends of said member, each tongue having a side wall engaging said member, a fastening member extending through said side wall and compression member to connect them together rigidly, each tongue being provided with a socket tightly receiving the adjoining end of the compression member, a tension rod, said tongues having bifurcated outer ends projecting from the compression member and receiving the ends of said rod, each end of the rod and the portions of the tongue above and below it being provided with aligned holes, a sleeve extending through said holes to connect the rod and tongue together, a brake head having a bifurcated body straddling theprojecting portion of the tongue and the adjoining end of the compression member, the inner portion of the tongue and said adjoining end of the compression member above and below it being provided with aligned openings, a bolt extending through said body and aligned openings, and a bolt extending through said body and sleeve, whereby the brake head can be removed by first removing said bolts and Without disturbing the rest of the beam.

OSCAR OTTERSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,809,745 Davis June 9, 1931 2,206,676 Schaefer July 2, 1940 2,348,092 Parke May 2, 19% 

